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While waiting for my brake rebuild parts to arrive, been cleaning and working on other components. How do you pack the rear wheel bearing without pressing it off the axle? I have inner and outer seals coming this week as well, so doing this right and completely

Looking through service letters and tools, Packard had a special tool

Also noted in service manual, to use No. 3 fibre grease, but if Packard S.T. 5100 is used, axle shaft removal is not required. What is Packard S.T. 5100

Lots of questions, sorry, but if I have to remove the rear axle, how do you keep the differential grease from coming out, stuff a rag in?

ST 5100 must be some kind of a grease injection tool. Probably devised to save dealer labor time for a bearing repack servoce. A better way is outlined below. There is no need to remove the bearing from the axle to repack it with grease.

Here is how I would do it.

Remove axle from housing.

Clean axle and bearing thoroughly being careful not to introduce any foreign material in bearing.

Inspect bearing and race, still in the housing, thoroughly.

Pack bearing with any modern wheel bearing grease, if bearing and race considered to be in serviceable condition.

Replace new bearing and race, if bearing and/or race show wear.

Install new inner oil seal and reinstall axle into housing.

Reassemble shims, backing plate and outer oil seal and housing.

Check axle end play and adjust as necessary.

Assemble brakes and drum and torque axle nut.

I hope this helps. It is a relative simple service, but involves a lot of disassembly. You will be happier knowing those bearings and seals are doing their job. It will probably last longer than you will have the car. Good luck.


Comment: The above is from memory and I may have missed a step or two. If so, I invite others to make corrections.

Correction #1: The bearing race will come out with the axle and bearing and will not be in the housing as described above.

how do you keep the differential grease from coming out, stuff a rag in?

There should be no grease in the differential, gear oil is the proper lubricant. And the level of the gear oil at normal fill is lower than the axle tubes so assuming the car is on the level, nothing should drain out.

Thanks JW

More research on the web indicates the S.T. 5100 is indeed a special Packard tool, that looks kind of like a device that slides over the axle, is held in place somehow around the bearing and then is filled with a high pressure grease gun. Picture is really poor, can't really tell.

So, will be pulling the axle and stuffing a rag in the tube to keep the differential grease from flowing out.
Bearing and race looks good on this side, hoping the same holds for the other side. Will keep you posted

Meant to say gear oil, not grease, typo. I will look, I may have the car on a slight pitch to the right.

And as long as you're focusing on the rear axle, good idea to check the axle housing atmospheric vent; not positive where yours is but usually it's incorporated into the bolt that holds the rubber to steel brake line connection block on the housing.

Now would be a good time to change the differential fluid with a major brand of high pressure rated GL5 85W-140 gear oil.

Just did this less than 300 miles ago, good point thanks

Hmmmm, good point. So much grease and dirt back their, have to get my excavator out to find it !

This car is mostly original and has not had the under carriage cleaned or looked at. Odometer just passed 50K under my watch, so not certain if it has 150, 250 or more! Still has original motor and transmission, not certain on rear end, but basined on amount of crud, guessing original as well

Received the seals and brake kit last night, out in the garage this AM. Pulled one axle, cleaned it thoroughly, packed the bearing and replaced the seals.

Getting rteady to verify axle end play and got sidetracked. Looked at the new brake shoes and it appears, at least in this kit, that there is no difference between the front & rear brake shoes? I would have thought the fronts were larger, comments anyone? a call into Kanter now

And, my memory is getting short. Pulled the right side apart about 2 weeks ago, being certain I kept track of the shims. Took photos of the assembly but I forgot the order.

From the axle tube flange, the shims, a gasket, the backing plate,a gasket, the outside seal & plate, the oil shield plate?

Worse comes to worse, I can pull the other side apart, but would prefer getting one side done at a time